'MEDICINE MAN' JAILED FOR CULTIVATING DRUG

Police acting on a tip-off discovered a huge cannabis-growing
operation during a raid on the remote home of a drugs dealer known as
Medicine Man.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard yesterday that officers had found cannabis
with a potential street value of more than 21,000 pounds being
cultivated by 46-year-old Stuart Nisbet.

Officers armed with a search warrant confiscated 72 plants and more
than 200 items of paraphernalia involved in their cultivation. They
also seized 980 pounds in cash which was linked to Nisbet's cannabis
operation.

Nisbet, known as Medicine Man because of his views on cannabis use,
was jailed for 15 months by Sheriff Ian Cameron, despite a defence
plea for him to be allowed to keep his liberty.

He appeared on indictment and admitted possessing cannabis with intent
to supply, being concerned in the supply of cannabis and cultivating
cannabis plants. The court heard police, acting on information, raided
Crofts Farmhouse, near Rothes, on July 18 last year and found cannabis
being cultivated.

Admitted

Sheriff Cameron was shown a book of photographs of the inside and
outside of the house and showing the scale of the cannabis-rearing
operation.

Fiscal David Dickson told Sheriff Cameron: "The accused goes by the name
Medicine Man and freely admits to supporting himself and his lifestyle
on the cultivation and sale of cannabis. In his statement to the police
he was straightforward and admitted his involvement."

Mr Dickson said the ultimate value of the cannabis had been calculated
at between 14,400 pounds and 21,600 pounds based on each plant
yielding 2-3 oz of cannabis and it being sold on.

Defence solicitor Marc Dickson said Nisbet, whose address was given as
Ardgay, Lower Cultie, Gorthleck, Inverness-shire, was unemployed but
had worked previously in horticulture.

Several years ago he was injured in a farm accident and had received
6,000 pounds in compensation, part of which he had invested in
equipment concerned with cannabis growing.

He had added to it over the years and the equipment which police had
confiscated was valued at between 3,000 pounds and 3,500 pounds, said
Mr Dickson.

"Mr Nisbet was entirely open and candid with the police and sought to
hide nothing from them."

Mr Dickson said Nisbet felt very strongly about cannabis which he had
been smoking since he was 14 or 15. The cannabis he grew was not for
sale on street corners or in pubs and clubs but was sold to people
broadly of Nisbet's age.

"In that sense he was selling a particular product," said Mr
Dickson.

He pointed out that a social background report described Nisbet as a
decent and honourable individual who accepted that what he had done
was against the law.

His views and opinions on cannabis were not going to change, said Mr
Dickson, but he had given an undertaking to obey any further court
order.

Mr Dickson suggested he might be a suitable candidate for a
restriction of liberty order which would allow him his freedom but
which would mean that he was closely supervised.

But Sheriff Cameron told Nisbet: "The fact is these activities, as you
are well aware, are illegal and you chose quite consciously to pursue
these activities on quite a substantial scale.

"I accept that you possess certain beliefs and that you are not going
to change these beliefs.

"But I am obliged to apply the law as it stands, rather than what it
might be in the future."

Nisbet lived at the secluded Crofts Farm, overlooking the River Spey,
three miles from Rothes, for only a few months and moved out shortly
after his cannabis factory was uncovered.

The present tenant who did not want to be named did not know Nisbet
but said last night that he understood that part of the flooring in
the house had to be replaced because of damage caused by Nisbet
watering his cannabis plants.

A neighbour said he had known Nisbet only by sight and they would wave
in the passing.

"He used to go off in the morning and come back at night but I don't
know where he worked. He kept himself pretty much to himself - now we
know why."